Polaris Dawn Mission: A Milestone in Private Spaceflight
The Polaris Dawn mission is set to launch this August from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The crew of Polaris Dawn recently finished a series of spacesuit acceptance tests.
SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission is set to launch on August 26 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. This mission marks several firsts in private space exploration.
Mission Details
Launch Date: August 26
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Crew
Jared Isaacman: Mission Commander and billionaire entrepreneur
Scott “Kidd” Poteet: Pilot, retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel
Sarah Gillis: Mission Specialist, SpaceX engineer
Anna Menon: Mission Specialist, SpaceX engineer
Objectives
First Private Spacewalk: Conducting the first-ever private spacewalk.
Altitude Achievement: Reaching an altitude of 700 kilometers, the highest for a crewed mission since Apollo.
Spacesuit Testing: Testing SpaceX’s new EVA spacesuits.
Scientific Research: Performing experiments and testing Starlink’s laser-based communications.
Philanthropy
Fundraising: Raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Mission Duration: Five days
Impact
Polaris Dawn aims to advance private space travel and technology, setting the stage for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
